Charm School Catastrophe
by alienange1
Summary: When one of Bad Luck's interviews goes awry, Tohma enrolls Shuichi in a charm school for boys. Trouble is, Bad Luck's fans don't like the newly polite, meek Shuichi. Can Yuki and Bad Luck get Shuichi back to normal before Bad Luck's upcoming tour?
1. Of Courtrooms and Charm School

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by writing fanfiction. glomps Hiro

Author's Note: I am not exactly familiar with the inner workings of charm schools, much less whether charm schools - for boys or otherwise - even exist in Japan. Don't take anything I write about charm school seriously - just put it down to fanfiction fun

CHAPTER ONE: OF COURTROOMS AND CHARM SCHOOL

Shuichi stood outside the door of Tohma's office, shuffling his feet nervously. He'd been fidgety and tense ever since K had informed him that Tohma wished to see him, and found himself wishing that Hiro, or even Suguru, was with him. It wasn't often that the president of N-G Records requested a private meeting with him, but it wasn't entirely unusual, since Tohma had been known to call him up to ask how Yuki was doing.

This time, though, Shuichi was fairly certain that it wasn't about Yuki.

He waited, still shuffling his feet, as Tohma's receptionist spoke into an intercom, announcing Shuichi's arrival. There was an indistinct buzz of static, indicating Tohma's response. Switching off the intercom, the receptionist smiled at Shuichi.

"The president will see you now," she informed him.

Shuichi smiled faintly. He heard a low buzz from Tohma's office door as the lock was disengaged, and stepped hesitantly into the room. Sure enough, Seguchi Tohma was seated behind his imposingly large desk, and he looked up as Shuichi entered.

"Shindou-kun," Tohma said. "Come sit down."

Shuichi sat down hesitantly, perching on the edge of his seat. Tohma didn't appear outwardly angry, but Shuichi was familiar enough with Tohma to know that the seemingly angelic, fluffy-haired Nittle Grasper keyboardist was far, far from what he seemed.

"I received a report from the editor of _Broken Note_ yesterday," Tohma began, opening a drawer and placing a sheaf of papers on the desk between them. "Regarding Bad Luck's interview."

Shuichi flinched slightly as Tohma brought up what was now considered a taboo subject. Sakano and K had set up an interview for Bad Luck with _Broken Note_, a popular music magazine, in conjunction with Bad Luck's upcoming tour. Unfortunately…

"I understand things didn't go too well?" Tohma said, eyeing the pink-haired singer who, under Tohma's gaze, began to squirm uncomfortably.

"They were only supposed to ask about our tour!" Shuichi protested, already aware that he was fighting for a lost cause. "That's what K-san and Sakano-san said!"

"And they asked you _one _question about your relationship with Eiri-san. So _why _–" Tohma glanced at the report and sighed, "didn't you just answer it?"

"I _did_," Shuichi replied truthfully. "It wasn't _my_ fault the interviewer was a homophobe…"

"Really? The editor informed me that you jumped up and down on the couch for five minutes, yelling variations of 'Yuki, I love you'," Tohma raised an eyebrow.

"She was sceptical about the fact that two men could love each other!" Shuichi protested. "She said that it was probably just a phase, so I showed her how much I love Yuki!"

"And when they tried to get you down," Tohma continued, seemingly oblivious to Shuichi's protests, "you leaped off the couch and landed on the coffee table."

Shuichi didn't bother protesting this time, colouring guiltily at the memory.

"You broke the coffee table, a vase, and several glasses of water," Tohma went on, "And you put one of the photographers in the hospital with a sprained arm." He set down the papers he'd been holding and looked Shuichi in the eye. "What were you _thinking_?"

"Did the editor…say…what K-san did?" Shuichi ventured timidly.

Tohma closed his eyes. "Also, in an effort to calm you down, K-san fired off a round from his Magnum," he said, not bothering to read off from the report this time. "Destroying two cameras, several lights, and blowing holes in the ceiling. Sakano-san, on the other hand, fainted – before threatening to commit suicide."

Shuichi was staring studiously at his hands.

"Two makeup artists wound up in the hospital, screaming for help," Tohma continued, "and several more photographers with them. All were unharmed, but terrified out of their minds. And all of them," Tohma opened his eyes and raised his voice slightly, "are threatening to take us to court."

Shuichi groaned.

"Fortunately for you, I managed to put in a high enough offer to persuade them to drop the charges." Tohma's words filled Shuichi with relief. "They agreed not to press charges, _but_ –"

"But?" Shuichi echoed cautiously.

"We can_not _let something like this happen again," Tohma said sternly.

"Yes, Seguchi-san," Shuichi said meekly.

Tohma sighed. "What you did cast a very, _very _bad reflection on N-G Records," he said. "If word of this leaks out – and I assure you, it could – N-G's reputation could be shot."

Shuichi paled visibly. "So…what should I do, Seguchi-san?"

"Do? I think you've done enough." Tohma's sharp rebuke caused the pink-haired singer to cringe.

"However, we can't run the risk of this happening again." There was a warning note in Tohma's voice that made Shuichi look up. "So –" Tohma rummaged around in a drawer, extracted a blue leaflet, and handed it to Shuichi. "– I've taken steps to ensure that."

Shuichi accepted the paper, staring down at it apprehensively.

"A _charm school_?" he demanded. "What's _that_?"

"It's a place where you learn certain things," Tohma responded calmly.

"I've already _been _to high school!" Shuichi retorted.

"This isn't the same as high school," Tohma exhaled sharply. He wondered vaguely how Eiri managed to put up with the pink-haired singer's idiocy for so long. Shuichi could be so annoyingly _dense _sometimes. "It's a place where you're schooled in decorum."

His explanation was met with a blank stare.

"You learn _manners_," Tohma elaborated with a weary sigh, "and social skills. How to eat properly, how to conduct yourself at parties, how to –"

"I _know _how to eat properly!" Shuichi interrupted, with the expression of one who has been led up onto the executioner's platform and received an explanation as to what, exactly, the rope is for. "_And _how to conduct myself at parties!"

"– _and _how to behave at magazine interviews so you don't publicly humiliate the recording company that represents you." Tohma said pointedly, driving his point home.

Shuichi fell silent, his face turning as pink as his hair.

"So I took the liberty of enrolling you in the very reputable –" Tohma studied a copy of the paper that he'd given Shuichi, "– Tokyo Charm School for Boys."

"But Seguchi-san – !"

"I signed you up for a two-week intensive course," Tohma continued, "so it won't interfere with the preparations for your upcoming tour. It starts next Monday, and goes on every day for the next two weeks, from four to nine."

"_Five hours_? But Seguchi-sannnn...!" Shuichi was all too aware that he was fighting a losing battle.

"The school is located just down the street from the N-G building, so you won't have any trouble getting there."

"But –"

"At the end of your course, you will undergo a practical examination of everything you've learned," Tohma went on. "If you fail, I will pull Bad Luck out of the tour."

Shuichi's mouth fell open as he gazed at the fluffy-haired blond president in disbelief.

"If you pass, I hope that doing so will have a positive effect on the manner in which you conduct yourself. Especially –" Tohma looked pointedly at Shuichi, " – during future magazine interviews."

Shuichi gulped.

"I've already informed K and Sakano-san about my decision," Tohma went on. "And I suggest that you inform your bandmates. However, I do not want you to inform Eiri-san."

"What? Why?" Shuichi demanded suspiciously.

"I don't think that Eiri-san needs to know just yet."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Thank you, Shindou-kun, that will be all. You may go." Tohma ended genially.

Shuichi got up and muttered a quick 'thank you' before leaving Tohma's office hurriedly, still clutching the charm school paper in his hand. Nodding at the receptionist, he swiftly approached the elevator, just wanting to get as far away from Seguchi Tohma as possible. The doors slid open the moment he pressed the button, revealing a blissfully empty interior. Shuichi stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor, just as the door slid closed.

He studied the paper again with growing disgust. The words 'Tokyo Charm School for Boys' were written across the top in elegant calligraphy, and the paper included all kinds of information about the school, promising reputable tutors and a conducive learning environment, peppered with a list of awards. There was information about the types of courses offered, and a list of contact numbers for further enquiries. It really did look like a well-established institution.

But it was still a charm school.

Charm school. He was supposed to go to some stupid _charm school_. So he could learn how to _eat_. And how to _conduct himself at parties_. Just because of some stupid _interview_!

And he wasn't supposed to tell Yuki. Well, that wouldn't be too hard, Shuichi acknowledged. The blond author had more or less barricaded himself in his study so he could finish up his latest book in time for his deadline. He wouldn't notice if Shuichi wasn't around much, not for another couple of weeks, at least. And even if he did, he'd probably just assume that Shuichi was rehearsing for his tour…

Damn, the tour. It was their biggest yet – they were going to perform at some of the biggest venues in Japan, before moving on to Korea, China, and some other parts of Asia. He'd been excited about it before the arrangements had even been finalised, and thoroughly resented the fact that it was now being used against him. Especially since it was to promote their new album…and now it might not even _happen _if he blew this stupid charm school thing.

The thought made him clench his fists, crumpling the paper.

He _had_ to go on this tour! He didn't _want_ to be forced into charm school, he didn't _want _to have to lie to Yuki, and he most definitely didn't want to disappoint Hiro, Suguru, Sakano, K, and all of Bad Luck's fans by getting yanked out of the tour because of some _charm school exam_.

_It must be nice to have choices…_

The elevator stopped at the third floor, and the doors slid open. Shuichi stormed out of the lift towards the recording studios, where he knew Hiro and Suguru would still be rehearsing. He glanced down at the paper again, remembering that he was supposed to tell his bandmates about the charm school stint.

Shuichi glared at the paper once more before ripping it apart. Wadding up the remaining pieces, he stuffed them into the nearest trash can before storming into the rehearsal room. Damn Tohma. Damn charm school. Damn _everything_!


	2. The Curse of the Insane Manager

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. The plot is original, but otherwise, I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by writing fanfiction. glomps Hiro

Author's Note: Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed my first chapter! Needless to say, I welcome any praise or criticism, as long as it's not in the form(s) of flame or spam. Thanks to EIRI-CHICK at for correcting some of my mistakes in the first chapter! I've fixed them accordingly. And at the end of this chapter, you'll get to see each member of Bad Luck's take on the tour...I think it reflects where their priorities lie. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

CHAPTER TWO: THE CURSE OF THE INSANE MANAGER

"Charm school," Hiro mused, plucking at the strings of his guitar. "Isn't charm school usually for girls?"

"What?" Shuichi spluttered through a mouthful of strawberry pocky. He grimaced and swallowed before speaking again. "How do you know?"

"I read," Hiro replied carelessly, strumming his guitar experimentally as he tuned it.

"But Seguchi-san called it the Tokyo Charm School for _Boys_," Shuichi recalled.

"Well, we'd be able to check it out if you hadn't torn up the paper," Suguru pointed out from where he was seated behind the keyboard, chin cupped in his hands.

Shuichi shrugged uncharacteristically and picked moodily at the open pocky box. K and Sakano were, thankfully, nowhere in sight, so there wasn't anybody around who might put a gun to his head for eating in the rehearsal room. The box was only half full, since he'd polished off most of it in the last twenty minutes. His appetite, however, was fading fast. He looked at the box bleakly for a moment, and then set it down, resting his chin on his knees.

"Shuichi…" said Hiro in concern.

In a flash, the pink-haired singer was on his feet.

"I'm not going for charm school!" he bellowed. "And nobody's going to make me!"

Hiro and Suguru exchanged glances, sweating slightly.

"Except," Suguru pointed out, "Seguchi-san."

Shuichi seemed to deflate visibly and slumped unceremoniously onto the floor. "Seguchi-san is _mean_!" he wailed from the floor.

Hiro and Suguru both turned away from their supine lead singer and sighed.

"Let him be," Hiro said, not in the least bit fazed by his best friend's dramatic antics.

"It's his fault anyway," Suguru agreed.

The words were barely out of Suguru's mouth when the door to the rehearsal room burst open and Bad Luck's blond-haired, gun-toting manager stood framed in the doorway. Hiro noted, with trepidation, the Desert Eagle .50 clutched in the American's hand, rather than his usual Magnum.

"Why aren't you rehearsing?" K demanded as he stepped into the room, waving his gun to emphasise his point. "And where's Shuichi – no, cancel that, why is he on the _floor_? Get up!" K ordered the pink-haired singer, who was still lying, spreadeagled on the carpet.

"Leave me alone," Shuichi mumbled into the rough material.

"What?" K knelt down next to the still-horizontal singer, jabbing his gun into Shuichi's back as he did so. "What's the matter?"

Shuichi's only response was a loud groan as he tried, unsuccessfully, to bury his face in the carpet.

"Seguchi-san told him about the charm school thing," Hiro interjected hastily, feeling that at this point, an explanation was necessary before the arguably insane American man put a bullet in Shuichi's brain.

"Oh, right!" K beamed down at Shuichi's back. "In that case, go right on lying there, and I'll give you a day off to cope with the traumatic news."

"Really?" Shuichi asked hopefully, raising his head. His face was now imprinted with the carpet's pattern.

K's eyes gleamed evilly as he let out an equally evil laugh.

"_No_!" he replied, shoving his gun in a crestfallen Shuichi's face. "A day off? You're going to be taking enough time off rehearsals now that you have charm school! Now hurry up, get off that floor and _rehearse_!"

"But, K-san…!" Shuichi wailed, feeling like he was in Tohma's office all over again. Albeit with an _outwardly_ crazy blond man this time.

"No buts!" K interrupted, hauling Shuichi to his feet by the hood of his orange sweatshirt. "Charm school or no charm school, I want to see you _work_! Or –" he said, lowering his voice and cocking his gun threateningly, "– we know what'll happen, don't we?"

Shuichi gulped. "Yes, K-san…" he squeaked in defeat.

"Excellent! I'm so glad that we understand each other!" K said brightly, sticking his gun back in his shoulder holster. "And that goes for the both of you too!" he added warningly, whipping it out again and tapping Hiro's head with it. "Bye!" he said in English as he breezed out of the room.

All three members of Bad Luck stared after their manager before collapsing back onto their chairs – or in Shuichi's case, the floor – with relief.

"Where's Sakano-san anyway?" Shuichi asked, rolling over onto his back and glancing up at Hiro.

"Still recuperating after his shock," Hiro admitted. "He was praying nothing would go wrong with the _Broken Note_ interview…"

Shuichi grimaced.

"You know," Suguru interrupted with a nervous glance at the door, "We really should start rehearsing before K-san comes back…" His hands already hovering above the keyboard, poised to begin.

"Yeah," Hiro agreed, slinging his guitar over his shoulder. "Shuichi, you ready?" he asked Shuichi, who, having got off the floor, was standing halfheartedly in front of the microphone.

"Huh…? Oh…yeah…" Shuichi replied absently, cupping the mic with one hand.

Hiro nodded and started to play the opening of Blind Game Again. His fingers moved with practiced expertise across the strings of his guitar, each chord sweet and strong. To the untrained eye, he looked absorbed in his guitar playing – his eyes, however, belied where his attention really lay. Years of experience with Shuichi told him that although his best friend was in his usual emotional, hyperactive state, Shuichi was probably terrified at the prospect of being pulled out of the tour and angry that if that happened, he'd be the one to blame. Hiro didn't have Shuichi's complicated relationship with Tohma, nevertheless; he felt somewhat uneasy about the arrangement. Tohma had proved in the past that he was more than capable of being underhanded, if it meant getting what he wanted. Was this some kind of ploy to get to Shuichi? Hiro made a mental note to find out more about the Tokyo Charm School for Boys.

Behind the keyboard, Suguru was playing with his usual enthusiasm, his hands flying across the notes. Like Hiro, his concentration appeared to be focused on his instrument alone. Like Hiro, his thoughts lay completely elsewhere. And like his cousin, Suguru was more than adept at hiding his feelings behind a smile, and that was more or less what he was doing now. He wasn't sure whether Tohma would _really_ pull Bad Luck out of the tour – why should he? Surely, as a businessman, Tohma could see the loss in doing so. A failed interview was one thing, but pulling Bad Luck out of an international tour _after _the arrangements had been finalised could wreck N-G's reputation forever. To say nothing of the damage it could do to Bad Luck's fanbase. Tohma stood to lose a lot of money if he really did what he was threatening to do. Still. Suguru wasn't about to run the risk of letting his wayward lead singer fail the exam. He made a mental note to find out more about the Tokyo Charm School for Boys.

Don't let me down, _kitto kitsu kyashinai_,

Cry for the sun, _kimi to kowareta ze_

_Subete o moyasu toki o tomero... _

The words came so easily that Shuichi found himself slipping into autopilot, letting his mouth take over while he lost himself in his thoughts. He was almost scared to think just how much time and effort, not to mention money, would be wasted if he blew this charm school thing. And it wasn't just this tour either. How many years had he and Hiro, and later Suguru, been playing in order to get this far? This tour wasn't just a tour in itself; it was practically a showcase of just how far Bad Luck had come since he'd first begged Hiro to start a band with him. And if it was scrapped, it meant, basically, that all those years had been wasted. And for what? A charm school exam?

No, Shuichi decided, tightening his grip on the mic, Hiro's guitar riffs reverberating in his ears. He could do this. He couldn't let them down.

Not now.


	3. The Tokyo Charm School for Boys

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Again, thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed my first two chapters! I thrive on feedback, so please keep the reviews coming. This chapter marks the beginning of Shuichi's charm school days…read and enjoy!

CHAPTER THREE: THE TOKYO CHARM SCHOOL FOR BOYS

Shuichi wasn't sure what he had been expecting the Tokyo Charm School for Boys to look like. Heck, until two days ago, he hadn't even known what a charm school _was_. The flyer – or what he could remember of it, anyway – hadn't included any pictures of the establishment, so he had nothing to go on, except that it apparently offered a 'conducive learning environment'.

Yet, for some reason, he was still surprised when the Tokyo Charm School for Boys turned out to be located in an office building not altogether dissimilar to the one in which N-G Records was located.

"_Shuichi_!" Something heavy struck the singer on the back of his head, causing him to go swirly-eyed for a moment. "Will you hurry up?"

Shuichi whipped around, knocking his glasses askew. "What did you do _that _for?" he growled at the crazy American standing behind him, who was holding in his hand a Magnum that, Shuichi was sure, was accountable for the throbbing pain in the back of his skull.

K's only response was a hearty laugh. "I call it 'K's Method for Dealing with Dawdling Musicians'!" he informed the now-fuming lead singer. "Now stop gawping and come on!"

Eyes streaming and head throbbing, Shuichi trudged reluctantly after Bad Luck's manager into the pleasantly cool building.

-----

Despite Shuichi's flat-out refusal to be, as Tohma had put it, _escorted _to his first lesson, K had turned up at the rehearsal room at exactly three o' clock – despite the fact that his lesson only started at four – in order to do just that.

"Why!" Shuichi had demanded furiously when he'd discovered K's reason for being there.

K had shrugged. "Hey, I'm just under orders here," he'd replied. "If you've got a problem, take it up with Toh –"

Shuichi had rushed out of the room before K had even finished his sentence, leaving a sweating Hiro and Suguru and an unconcerned K behind.

He'd reached the floor where Tohma's office was located, blazed past his stunned secretary and barged his way into what he was now beginning to think of as Tohma's lair in under five seconds, panting heavily.

"Shindou-kun," Tohma had glanced, concerned, at his watch as though breathless musicians stormed into his office every day of the week. "Shouldn't you be on your way? You don't want to be late for your first class, you kn…"

"You're kidding me, right?" Shuichi had demanded furiously. "I specifically request _not _to be escorted and you go ahead and make the arrangements anyway?"

"It's not a matter of what you would or wouldn't prefer, Shindou-kun," Tohma's tone of voice could have made glass look like gravel. "It's a matter of discretion, and, of course, your safety."

"Discretion? K sticks out like…like…something that sticks out a lot!" Shuichi had sputtered, his indignation so great that it had superseded his admittedly poor memory for similes. "And safety? You're expecting me to be _safe_ with someone who destroyed half a room while he was trying to get me to calm down during that interview? He's just as guilty as I am!"

"I realise that K's methods of dealing with certain situations can be somewhat…unorthodox." Tohma acquiesced. "However, he is under strict orders to do nothing that will attract attention to either of you. After all –" Tohma raised his voice slightly as Shuichi opened his mouth to protest, "– you wouldn't want anyone to find out that you're attending a charm school, would you?"

Shuichi closed his mouth in sullen agreement.

"I believe K-san will be useful in neutralising any unwanted attention that you may attract," Tohma went on.

Shuichi tried not to laugh out loud at the prospect of K 'neutralising' anything.

"I've already obtained written agreement from the people of the Tokyo Charm School for Boys that they will not, under any circumstances, reveal any details of your course to the press, or divulge your true identity to your peers. However – and I'm sure you agree – we can't be too careful. Hence," Tohma explained, "the fact that K-san will be escorting you to and from your lessons."

"T-t-t-t-true _identity_?" Shuichi stuttered.

"But of course." Somewhere beneath his shock and disbelief, Shuichi wondered vaguely if _anything_ ruffled the serenity of Tohma's expression. "I entered you under a pseudonym, naturally. Only several people within the Tokyo Charm School for Boys know your real name, and they may or may not make themselves known to you. And of course, while in the school, you'll be wearing a disguise at all times."

"A –" Shuichi's mouth suddenly felt very dry. "– a _disguise_?"

"Nothing extreme, of course," Tohma continued. "Just something simple, but sufficient to conceal who you really are. For example, some hair dye –"

"_Hair dye_?"

"– and a pair of glasses."

"_Hair dye_?"

"Why of course, Shindou-kun. You must admit, all the discretion and aliases in the world won't prevent someone from realising who you are if you walk around with pink hair. K-san has some brown dye –"

"But –!"

"Naturally you'd be worried, Shindou-kun. After all, Eiri-san is sure to ask questions if you dye your hair, isn't he? Therefore, I'd like you to stay with Hiro for the next couple of weeks."

Shuichi's mouth fell open.

"I've already sent someone to tell him," Tohma went on. "Of course, if he is unable to let you stay, you can always stay in the N-G building."

Shuichi's arms flailed around in an agitated way. "N-G _building_? Stay with Hiro? But – but – but – but – Yuki! What do I tell –?"

"That you're practicing for your tour, of course," Tohma said calmly.

"But –!"

"Is there anything else, Shindou-kun? I'm afraid I'm quite tied up at the moment, so I'll be leaving it to K to take care of the disguise arrangements. That _is _why he showed up so early, you know…"

-------

And that was how Shuichi wound up in the classroom in the Tokyo Charm School for Boys with brown hair and glasses. It worked, he had to admit. No one had so much as given him a second glance, except to look warily at K. His shoulder holster was, for once, concealed under a denim jacket, but his long blond hair and American features marked him out fairly easily in a crowd. Once again, the singer found himself wondering exactly how K would 'neutralise' any attention that Shuichi might attract. K attracted attention just by walking down the street…

"I'll be picking you up at nine, Kiyoshi!" K called gaily from the elevator once he had dropped Shuichi off.

"Kiyoshi," Shuichi had muttered to himself, trying to adjust to this strange new name. He took off his glasses and began polishing them on his shirt. "Matsumoto Kiyoshi. Matsumoto Kiyoshi. Matsumo – aaargh!"

"I'll be waiting for you on the bottom floor, Kiyoshi," K, having seized his shoulder, muttered in his ear.

"How the heck did you get back here so fast!" Shuichi yelped, wishing it was possible to scream and whisper at the same time.

"Be there at nine," K instructed, ignoring Shuichi's question. "Or –" Shuichi whimpered as he heard the unmistakeable sound of a gun being cocked, "– you know what'll happen, don't you?"

"Didn't Seguchi-san say you weren't going to make a scene?" Shuichi whispered furiously. "You're not supposed to be waving your Magnum around!"

K laughed as he straightened up. "Exactly why," he said brightly, "I'm using this _water pistol _instead!" He waved the plastic weapon at a speechless Shuichi.

"You – you – you – you –!" Shuichi, forgetting his own promise to keep a low profile, shrieked.

"Cool down, Kiyoshi!" K had accompanied this statement with a couple of squirts of water right into Shuichi's face. "Now –" He seized hold of a spluttering Shuichi by the arm and steered him towards the door of his classroom. "– don't act like a spoiled princess, play nice with the other kids, and I'll see you at nine, okay?" He stuck the water pistol in his pocket, opened the door and shoved Shuichi inside. "Have fun, Kiyoshi!" he called, slamming the door.

"_Spoiled princess_?" Shuichi snarled, wetly, at the closed door.

The only response to that was K's distant laughter.

Shuichi turned around. "Uh…"

The room was fairly large and rectangular in shape. One wall was made up entirely of mirrors, giving the room the appearance of some kind of dance studio.

Except that most dance studios wouldn't have an elegant dining table off to one side. Or, for that matter, several chairs and a blackboard that lent the room the air of a makeshift classroom.

Or the motley bunch of students sitting in the makeshift classroom.

Shuichi drew a sleeve across his face roughly, wiping away the last of the water, and slipped his glasses back on.

"…hi." Shuichi managed in a voice so small that it was immediately swallowed up by the large room.

There were four other boys seated in the chairs, and all were surveying him with various degrees of interest. One was short and slightly chubby, with round glasses that flashed up at Shuichi. His face was peppered with acne, and it was obvious from the pasty tone of his skin that he didn't get out much. Between the PSP sticking out of his shirt pocket and the anime badges stuck on his bag, Shuichi was reminded of some of the guys from his high school, more or less similar to this one, who skipped P.E., played video games and watched anime obsessively. The only thing that didn't compute with the image was the expensive clothes the boy was wearing. He shot Shuichi a nervous smile as he looked at him.

The next guy was tall and lanky, with slightly greasy hair that came down to his chin. He looked like he'd just woken up, an image that was enhanced by the wrinkled state of the stained grey T-shirt and jeans he was wearing. He offered a nod in greeting.

The third guy was huge, taller even than the boy sitting next to him, and heavily built, with dark skin and thick lips. His thick black hair fell over his eyes as they flicked over Shuichi, and he nodded in greeting.

The last guy was maybe the best dressed of the four. His hair was long and dyed blond, and stood up in spikes at the top of his head, leaving the rest to cascade casually down his shoulders. His face was powdered pale white, and his eyes heavily made up. The clothes he was wearing were almost all black, with strong gothic overtones – leather jacket, stringy vest, tight leather pants and boots, not to mention several jewellery stores' worth of bracelets and chains. He lifted his hand when Shuichi looked at him.

There was a long pause.

"Hi," the first boy said, breaking the silence. He smiled up at Shuichi again. "I'm Yamaguchi Morihiro." He gestured tentatively towards the seat next to him. Shuichi sat down gratefully.

This seemed to be some kind of cue for the other boys to make their introductions. "Makiguchi Ryoma," said the boy sitting next to Morihiro. "That guy –" he gestured towards the goth, "– is Nishio Eizan, and this –" He waved a hand at the impossibly huge guy seated next to him, "is Kuno Katsuhito." He looked at Shuichi expectantly, waiting for an introduction.

"Shi – Matsumoto Kiyoshi," Shuichi corrected himself hastily.

"So who was that blond guy?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Your bodyguard?"

Shuichi opened his mouth, but was saved from answering by Morihiro. "Ryoma, you make it sound wrong to have a bodyguard!" he said. "It's not as though you don't have one…" He turned to Shuichi. "Sorry about Ryoma, Matsumoto-san," Morihiro said apologetically. "He can seem quite abrasive, but he's really very nice. _Really_," Morihiro said loudly, as Ryoma rolled his eyes.

"Do you two know each other?" Shuichi asked blankly.

"Yeah," Morihiro replied. "Our fathers are business partners –"

"That's right, tell everyone, Mori," Ryoma rolled his eyes again.

"Oh come on, Ryoma!" Morihiro protested. "He'll have found out sooner or later…"

"Yamaguchi and Makiguchi?" Shuichi repeated slowly. "As in…Yamaguchi and Makiguchi _Publishing_?"

"Oh, you've heard of them?" Morihiro smiled.

"You look surprised, Matsumoto," Ryoma said. "This place is where really loaded parents send their socially inept kids so their kids don't publicly humiliate them. Didn't you know?"

"Ryoma," Morihiro said reproachfully. "They sent us here in our best interests…"

"Take Nishio, for example," Ryoma went on, ignoring Morihiro. "His parents own one of the biggest clothing lines in the country. And Kuno's parents own the National Aquarium."

Shuichi wondered how Ryoma had managed to find all this stuff out. Neither Kuno nor Nishio looked particularly willing to swap life stories. But before he could say anything, the door opened and a middle-aged woman – presumably their teacher – stepped in.

She was wearing a dark skirt suit, and her hair – which was streaked with grey – was pulled back in a neat knot. Her presence, although not overwhelmingly strict, was certainly one of authority, and she looked over the group of them – from Eizan's blond hair to Ryoma's stained T-shirt – without batting an eye.

"Welcome," she said, "To the Tokyo Charm School for Boys."

Ryoma rolled his eyes. Morihiro nudged him.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, you have signed up for a two-week intensive course, taking place every day for the next two weeks, from four to nine. My name is Yamahata Eiko – please address me as Yamahata-sensei – and I will be your instructor for the next two weeks."

She paused and slipped on a pair of glasses before continuing.

"At the end of the course, you will undergo a practical examination," she went on. "The examination will be on everything you have learnt in the course. I therefore advise that you do not miss a single day. Now, before we begin, I'd like to lay down some ground rules." Her eyes flicked over them again as she spoke.

"Firstly – language. Needless to say, I will not tolerate the use of vulgarities. Real gentlemen never lose control of their tongues, or their tempers. Also, when addressing me, as well as each other, I expect all of you to speak politely. Secondly – dress." She paused, and then continued. "For every lesson, I expect all of you to be dressed properly. The standard dress code for the Tokyo Charm School for Boys is a long-sleeved, button-down shirt, trousers, and shoes. No jeans, no T-shirts, and no sneakers. As it is your first lesson, I will excuse you, but as of tomorrow, I expect all of you to be properly dressed."

Shuichi tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his T-shirt.

After the role call was carried out, Yamahata-sensei began. "Real gentlemen," she began, "are defined by neither physical appearance, nor wealth alone. A true gentleman is one who meets several expectations of society. A gentleman is courteous, collected and well-spoken. A gentleman does not need to be good-looking, but should strive to look the best he can, always, depending on the situation."

Shuichi felt his attention ebbing.

"Today, therefore, we will be practicing how to sit, stand and walk like gentlemen. Now, I want all of you to stand up – no, _don't _push your chairs back so that they scrape on the floor! Try that again, _no _noise, please – that's good. Now, I want all of you to stand like this – don't slouch, Nishio-san! And Makiguchi-san, please take your hands out of your pockets – thank you. All right. Now stand up straight and pull your shoulders back – _please _don't thrust your chest out like that, Yamaguchi-san. Yes. Now, let's try that again, and then we'll move on to _sitting _like gentlemen."

Shuichi sighed. It was going to be a long, long lesson.


	4. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your reviews and comments on the previous chapters! Keep them coming, they're kind of my motivation. I _thrive _on reviews. Anyway. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Observe the slight changes in Shuichi's personality! Funny how nobody notices except Hiro…read and enjoy!

CHAPTER FOUR: THE BEGINNING OF THE END

"Love the hair, _Kiyoshi_," Hiro teased as he opened the door to his exhausted best friend. "How was your first day of _charm school_?"

"Nnnnggggghhhh…" Shuichi groaned as he stumbled into Hiro's apartment, lugging a duffel bag of clothes with him. Instead of tossing the bag on the floor, however, he placed it carefully on a chair.

Hiro chuckled. "I'm guessing they didn't work on your _verbal _techniques today," he noted. "Hey, do you want something to eat? I've got some instant ramen…"

"It was _horrible_, Hiro!" Shuichi wailed, collapsing onto the sofa, then sitting bolt upright. "We didn't even _do _anything! The lady in charge made us all practice sitting, standing and walking for _five hours_! My legs cramped up from sitting down for so long! Then I finally thought _sitting _was over, and then she made us try _walking_! Do you know how horrible –" Shuichi broke off, imitating his teacher's voice "– '_walking like a gentleman_' is? You have to pull your shoulders back and walk with your chest stuck out –" He moved his shoulders back and forth in a weak imitation, clearly too tired to make fun of the technique properly.

"Shuichi?" Hiro interjected as Shuichi paused to take a breath.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you talking so formally?"

Shuichi blinked. "Am I?" He paused, clearly running his little tirade through his head again. "I guess I am. That's another thing, Hiro!" he wailed. "We have to talk so _formally _all the time, even when we're just asking each other the time! It's like – it's like –" He struggled to find the right words, and then gave up, slumping down on the sofa. Then he sat upright again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow as he handed Shuichi a cup of instant ramen.

"It's that charm school teacher's fault!" Shuichi wailed. "She kept forcing us to sit upright for hours and hours and _hours_! If any of us slouched, she just made us all sit like that _longer_! And we had to sit like gentlemen, so we couldn't lean back in our chairs, or cross our legs or anything! It was so _boring_! Hiro?" Shuichi raised his head and looked at his best friend, teary-eyed.

"What?"

"Do you think Seguchi-san's trying to kill me?" Shuichi asked seriously. And pathetically.

Hiro laughed. "I doubt it," he said truthfully. He'd spent a careful two hours navigating his way through the Tokyo Charm School for Boys' website, and Shuichi's description more or less fitted the course descriptions listed on the site. Admittedly, Shuichi's version was slightly more detailed than the one offered by the website, but it had been spot on so far. As for Seguchi-san possibly conspiring against Shuichi – after some thought, Hiro had dismissed the possibility. Seguchi-san was a businessman first and foremost, and Hiro highly doubted that he would trash his own company's reputation like that. The most likely explanation was the one that Seguchi-san had given Shuichi – which was Seguchi-san couldn't have Shuichi's stupid antics threatening N-G Recordings' reputation and was willing to pay any price to remove the threat. The course Shuichi was taking cost an awful lot of money, enough to even make someone like Seguchi-san notice. Perhaps that was why he'd included the tour as a bargaining tool…no one could invest that much money in Shuichi and live with the very real possibility that Shuichi might not make the cut.

"Nnngh…" Shuichi didn't look convinced.

Hiro changed the subject. "What about the other guys in your class?" he asked, hoping to distract Shuichi from forming any conspiracy theories. "What are they like?"

"They're pretty cool," Shuichi said truthfully. Morihiro seemed pretty nice, and Ryoma seemed okay too, if a little edgy. Shuichi hadn't really got the chance to talk to Nishio or Kuno, but they hadn't seemed nasty or anything.

"How many are there?" Hiro probed.

"Four," Shuichi replied, digging his chopsticks into the ramen. He felt really hungry all of a sudden.

"Did you all play together nice?" Hiro asked teasingly.

Shuichi scowled. What was it with everyone and treating him like he was in preschool? "Two of them seem okay," he replied through a mouthful of ramen. "I didn't really get a chance to talk to the other two."

"I'm guessing they didn't guess who you were," Hiro observed, resisting the urge to poke fun at Shuichi's 'gentlemanly' table manners.

"Nope." Shuichi swallowed. "The combination of hair dye –" he ran his fingers through his newly dyed brown locks for emphasis, "– and glasses was enough to fool all of them."

"Huh," was all Hiro said. "Imagine that."

"Anyway," Shuichi went on, shooting Hiro a pleading look, "Do you have any nice shirts?"

"Nice shirts?" Hiro repeated suspiciously. "What for?"

"We have to dress up tomorrow," Shuichi explained sheepishly. "For charm school."

"What, is it a special occasion or something?"

"No, because it's well…charm school." Shuichi grimaced. "I mean, we have to dress up formally, and I don't have any really nice shirts to wear…do you have any?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Hiro shrugged. Then he glanced at Shuichi. "Are you going to keep using that formal talk?"

Shuichi looked sheepish again. "Does it bother you? Because we have to talk like this in class _all the time_, and I figure it's easier to get used to it now by using it all the time. I mean, it's for the tour and all…"

"Oh, the tour. Right." Hiro said, watching Shuichi polish off the last of the ramen. "Here, let me take that."

"No, it's cool, I'll get it," Shuichi said, getting to his feet in a way that seemed different to Hiro. He glanced over his shoulder. Shuichi was even _walking _differently…

"Hey, so can I borrow a shirt?" Shuichi asked when he emerged from the kitchen. "I mean, the teacher hasn't actually _killed _anyone so far, but she did say she wanted us to be 'properly dressed', and if I'm not I don't know what she'll do…"

"What?" Hiro asked absently. "Oh. Yeah. Sure."

----------

"Shindou-san acting formally?" Suguru echoed sceptically. "I can't believe it."

"I know it seems hard to believe," Hiro admitted. "But even without the formal talk, he seems kind of…different." He glanced over at the door to the rehearsal room in case Shuichi walked back in.

"Different how?" Suguru asked.

"Just…I don't know. Different." Hiro said, somewhat lamely.

It was the day after Shuichi's first lesson at the Tokyo Charm School for Boys, and Hiro, Suguru and K were in the rehearsal room, waiting for Shuichi. Although Hiro and Shuichi had arrived together, Tohma had summoned Shuichi to his office practically the second Shuichi had stepped into the building.

"Of course he's acting differently," K put in with a yawn. "The kid's got a mind like a sponge. If you expose him to something enough, it becomes part of what he does."

"Are we talking about Shindou-san here?" Suguru asked sceptically. The Shuichi _he _knew was stubborn as a mule.

Hiro chuckled. "But K-san, didn't you notice anything strange about Shuichi when you picked him up last night?"

"Other than the formal talk? No," K replied, twirling his Magnum idly.

"Huh," Hiro said. "Well, maybe I'm just imagining thi…"

Shuichi rushed into the rehearsal room before Hiro could finish talking. "Sorry I'm late!" he apologised, still speaking formally, as he placed his bag on a chair. "Seguchi-san was…"

"Ah, Shuichi, you're here," K said brightly. "We were just talking about you!"

"You…were?" Shuichi repeated, sounding surprised.

"Yes!" K said, his eyes gleaming. "We were just discussing that since you skipped out early on rehearsals yesterday, you could do twice as much work today to make up for it!"

"Wha – what? But K-san!" Shuichi wailed, turning white as K turned his Magnum on him, "It's not like I had a choice…!"

"What was that?" K's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You weren't…_disagreeing _with me, were you?" His gun flashed in the glare of the fluorescent lights overhead, causing Shuichi to whimper.

"I don't know, Nakano-san," Suguru muttered as he got up from the table. "Other than the formal talk, he still seems the same to me..."

----------

"_Konbanwa_, Matsumoto-san!" Morihiro was dressed immaculately, in an expensive silk shirt that reminded Shuichi of one of Yuki's. For a moment, Shuichi felt a pang. He hadn't seen Yuki for so long…

"Check out Ryoma's new haircut!" Morihiro pointed out, slightly gleefully, as Shuichi returned the greeting and took his seat. "What do you think, Matsumoto-san? Doesn't he look different?"

"I feel like a waiter," Ryoma grumbled, before Shuichi could say anything.

"You look better, Ryoma!" Morihiro insisted. He turned to Shuichi. "Doesn't he, Matsumoto-san?"

"Yeah, he does," Shuichi replied truthfully. Ryoma's previously chin-length hair had been shortened and restyled to a style not unlike Suguru's. Between that, and the elegant clothes he was wearing, he looked completely transformed.

"There! I _told _you," Morihiro said triumphantly. He turned back to Shuichi. "You look good too, Matsumoto-san."

"Ahhh…thanks. So do you," Shuichi said quickly.

The truth was, he felt slightly uncomfortable, even though he was only wearing Hiro's blue shirt and his own black pants. It wasn't just that he'd never worn anything so conventional before – not since graduating from high school, anyway. With the formal attire, the dyed hair, _and _the glasses, Shuichi felt like a completely different person. In some ways, it was strange, in others, refreshing. And it made the transition from Shuichi to Kiyoshi a lot easier.

Nishio and Kuno were dressed differently, too. Admittedly, Nishio was still in his all-black regalia, and the back of his shirt was covered in a strange Celtic design. He was still wearing most of his jewellery too – today with a cross motif. And his hair remained unchanged. But, Shuichi had to admit, he still looked good. Even Kuno, large as he was, gave off an impression of elegance in his silk shirt and tie. Just as Morihiro opened his mouth again, the door opened and Yamahata-sensei stepped into the room.

"Excellent!" she said, her lips forming the closest expression to a smile that Shuichi had ever seen on her face as she surveyed them. "Now that you're all well-dressed –" her eyes flicked, disapprovingly, towards Nishio for a moment, "– I think we can progress to the _verbal _points of being a gentleman."

_Verbal? _Shuichi wondered. Well, anything that didn't involve standing and sitting was fine by him…

"We'll start with basic greetings, and then we'll move on to how to address people of higher ranks," Yamahata-sensei enthused. "Then, we can move on to _basic conversations_…"

Shuichi resisted the urge to slump down in his seat. Just great. Another long lesson. Only this time, it'd be like being in _kindergarten _all over again.


	5. Little Conversations

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Again, thanks for all the reviews and comments! Not much to say about this chapter, it's kind of a continuation of the 'nobody-noticing-except-Hiro' thing. Funny how people don't notice things that are right under their noses…read and enjoy!

CHAPTER FIVE: LITTLE CONVERSATIONS

"Over the past week, you have been schooled in the basics of being gentlemen," Yamahata-sensei began, surveying her class. "Namely in – moving like gentlemen, speaking like gentlemen, and eating like gentlemen." She ticked off each accomplishment on her fingers as she spoke.

Shuichi shifted in his seat. It was the Monday after he'd first started charm school, meaning that he was now reaching the halfway mark of his sojourn. Although he had to admit the classes themselves had been easy enough, the number of hours they'd had to spend practicing the most trivial things was enough to try anyone's endurance. In one lesson, they'd spent a couple of hours practicing the perfect handshake – "Always, always, look the person you are greeting in the _eye_!" Yamahata-sensei had trilled. "And remember, the _grip _is vital! Make it _firm_, but do _not _attempt to _throttle _the other person's hand! Please do not make your grip too _weak_, either! Remember – _first impressions are vital_!" – and the perfect bow. "Do not _fling _your upper body forwards!" Yamahata-sensei had repeated, over and over. "Simply _incline _your head and be done with it! For more formal bows, it is not _necessary _to bend forwards until your forehead touches your knees!"

The previous four lessons had been spent on dining etiquette, for both Western and Japanese-style dining. Shuichi had found Japanese-style dining easy enough; he was used to it enough to know more or less everything that Yamahata-sensei had told them – "do _not _wave your chopsticks around, do not _point _your chopsticks at people, do not _spear _food with chopsticks…" etc., etc. – but the rules of formal Western dining were considerably more complex and difficult to follow. The eating utensils alone were enough to boggle the mind, let alone the actual eating. There were _three_ different kinds of forks – "Dinner, fish, _salad_! Dinner, fish, _salad_!" – two types of knives, one spoon, and an optional dessert fork and spoon. Then there were the three types of glasses, or 'goblets', as Yamahata-sensei said – "Water, white, _red_! Water, white, _red_!" Then, there was the bread-and-butter plate.

The eating itself was constricted by rules. The knives and forks had to be held in a proper way, food had to be cut in a certain way, and soup had to be consumed in a certain way. Shuichi had found the Western-style method of eating soup the most mind-boggling of all – _how did they do it_? Soup couldn't be drunk from the bowl itself, they had to use _spoons _to scrape it up. "Always _sip _from the _side _of the spoon!" Yamahata-sensei reminded them.

And when the level of the soup sank to a point where they couldn't scrape it up with their spoons, they had to tilt the bowl away from them – "Always _away _from you!" – to scrape up the last few bits of soup. All while sitting in a completely upright position, since leaning down to drink the soup was considered gauche and impolite.

"This week," Yamahata-sensei went on, snapping Shuichi out of his reverie, "We will be _building _upon the basic skills. Those skills are _fundamental _to every gentleman. So, we will spend this week building on _character_. Remember, gentlemen are not defined by manners and movement alone. The _true _gentleman is one who is courteous, sociable and _well-spoken_. Therefore, we will be focusing on _that_, as well as some of the more _in-depth _aspects of _physical _presentation."

"I can't wait," Ryoma muttered, softly enough so that Yamahata-sensei couldn't hear him.

Shuichi sighed. _Yeah, _he thought. _Me neither._

_ ----------  
_

"Another day, another…" Suguru paused, trying to put words around what he was trying to say.

"…five hours of no Shuichi?" Hiro offered as he strummed lazily on his guitar.

Over the past week, Bad Luck's practices had been getting more and more infrequent, mostly due to Shuichi's charm school lessons. Shuichi left at three-thirty every day, meaning that the times they could practice together were limited to mornings and afternoons alone. And Shuichi was usually exhausted in the mornings from charm school the previous night, so even morning practices didn't go too well. Although Suguru and Hiro spent their evening practices without their lead singer, they'd reached an unspoken agreement that they'd continue to practice, so that by the time Shuichi's charm school stint was over, he could jump right back into practicing.

"It's not as though he doesn't know all the lyrics already," Hiro had pointed out. "He got them down a while ago. Now's the perfection stage, and we'll still have time after Shuichi finishes charm school to do that."

All interviews, photo shoots and other publicity arrangements for the tour had been officially cancelled by Tohma, in order to allow Shuichi to devote full attention to charm school. Although the arrangement worked out fine for Shuichi, it left Hiro and Suguru with little else to do every day except practice, and they couldn't even do much of that since Shuichi was around for a time period significantly shorter than theirs every day.

Now Suguru glanced quizzically at Hiro.

"What?" Hiro asked, without looking up.

"Shindou-san's been staying at your place for the past week," Suguru said. "Does he talk about his lessons a lot?"

"Not for the past couple of days," Hiro replied, recalling how Shuichi had stumbled right into bed after he got home for the past couple of nights – without even eating anything. "He's been pretty tired lately."

"Do you think Shindou-san has a chance of passing his charm school exam?" Suguru asked bluntly.

"What makes you ask that?" Hiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shindou-san's hardly himself these days," Suguru pointed out, referring to the state of exhaustion that Shuichi was constantly in. "And I'm hardly in a position to know what his charm school situation's like, but you are, Nakano-san. Do you think he's able to cope with charm school?"

"It really wears him out," Hiro said truthfully. "But he's changed these past few days."

"Enough to be worth it spending all our time practicing?" Suguru asked bluntly.

Hiro understood the underlying question. "I don't think he'll fail, if that's what you mean," he said carefully. "I know nobody else really notices, but I think he's changed a little."

"We're hardly in a position to," Suguru pointed out. "And there's not much you can observe from someone who stumbles around like a zombie," he added dryly.

Hiro chuckled, in spite of himself. "But he really has. Changed, I mean," he said. "I mean, the way he moves and talks and even _eats_." _At least until he started falling asleep the second he came home_.

"Is that so?" Suguru asked as he played a simple melody on his keyboard. He frowned. "I just don't like the idea of spending all this time practicing if Shindou-san doesn't make the cut…"

"Do you really think Seguchi-san will scrap the tour if Shuichi doesn't pass?" Hiro asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Suguru sighed and rested his chin in his hands, his elbows on top of the keyboard. "I don't know, Nakano-san," he admitted. "I don't think my cousin would do that – or maybe I'd just _like _to think he wouldn't do that," he said thoughtfully. "He's a businessman and he has his company to think about, so why would he scrap the tour on a whim? But he's never been very predictable in his actions, so…even if he's not planning to scrap the tour, I'm not sure what he'd do instead…"

Hiro nodded. It seemed logical that, although Tohma might not scrap the tour if Shuichi failed, he'd probably do something else in the way of punishment. He hadn't considered this before, and it bothered him. What could Seguchi-san really do if Shuichi failed?

But would Shuichi _really _fail? Although he didn't seem to enjoy charm school a lot – for that, Hiro couldn't really blame him – he seemed to be developing all the skills that Tohma wished instilled in him pretty well. And on the rare occasions he wasn't a zombie at work, Hiro could tell that there was something different about him. He didn't get as hyperactive or emotional for one thing, and he spoke politely all the time. Then there was the newfound elegance in the way he sat and stood and…well…_moved _in general. When Hiro had first considered this, he'd almost laughed out loud at the possibility, because…after all…_Shuichi_? _Elegant_? But after a week of this, Hiro was less inclined to laugh and more inclined to…he wasn't sure what, exactly. Get used to it? It wasn't the Shuichi he knew, and something made him uncomfortable about it.

But why should good manners make him uncomfortable? It was necessary, after all, for Shuichi to pass his charm school exam. It was therefore necessary for him to practice everything he'd been tested on so he could pass the exam. Hiro just hadn't expected him to be so..._natural _about it. He'd adopted the skills as seamlessly as though he'd been born with them.

And nobody seemed to be noticing anything.

Shuichi wondered idly how Yuki-san might adjust to Shuichi's newfound courtesy. Then he shrugged it off. Surely Shuichi was just going overboard for the sake of the tour. In fact, after he'd passed the exam, he'd probably forget all the skills he'd adopted before Yuki-san even had a chance to notice the change.

That was another thing. Shuichi hadn't seen Yuki-san in _days _now. Between charm school and practice for the tour, he probably barely had time to even _think_ of Yuki-san. What Hiro was beginning to think of as 'the old Shuichi' would have gone stir-crazy even if he was away from Yuki for a few hours. And now a week had gone by, and Shuichi had barely even spoken to Yuki-san, except to inform him that he was staying at Hiro's. According to Shuichi, Yuki had barricaded himself in his study, so it wasn't as though he was going to be seeing much of the blond author _anyway_. But still…

"It'll just be like Yuki's gone to New York for two weeks, or something," Shuichi had told Hiro. "I'll just have to put up with it for the sake of the tour."

Well, anything that fuelled Shuichi's desire to do well was probably good…right…?

Probably.

So why did Hiro still feel weird about the whole charm school thing?


	6. Unexpected Problems: Shuichi's Breakdown

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Finally – chapter six. I'm sorry about my sudden and prolonged absence, but yes, I am not dead. So what was? My internet connection, for one. Over the past few days, my connection was faulty to the point where for some reason, I couldn't upload stuff. Anyway, the show must go on etc. etc, so here's chapter six! Read and enjoy!

CHAPTER SIX: UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS - SHUICHI'S BREAKDOWN

Shuichi was a wreck.

Well, not _really _a wreck, Hiro corrected himself, watching his friend sip elegantly from an empty glass. At least not in the way that most people would think of. But he was definitely panicking about his upcoming exam – especially now that it was only two days away. And since Shuichi's panic had made him even _less _focused during Bad Luck's already scant practice hours, K had, after a consultation with Tohma, given Bad Luck the rest of the week off so that Shuichi could devote his full attention to the exam.

Since then, Shuichi had spent all waking hours going over everything he'd learned. Hiro's right hand was still sore from the previous day, when Shuichi had shaken it over and over again in order to practice 'the perfect handshake'. Afterwards, Shuichi had practiced bowing so much that when he'd woken up the next morning, his neck had been sore. To say nothing of the endless standing, sitting and walking for hours and hours around Hiro's apartment, in order to practice 'moving like a gentleman.' He'd been at it even after Hiro had turned in for the night.

Today, Shuichi had gotten up even before Hiro had, and Hiro had woken up to see that the singer had raided his kitchen and had spread out most of his cutlery on the tiny dining table, in an attempt to practice Western-style dining. He was looking paler than usual, and he was uncharacteristically grouchy – a stark contrast to the controlled, polite Shuichi of the past week.

"Do you have to keep your glasses on while you're practicing?" Hiro asked as his friend carefully picked up the spoon he'd laid out.

"Of course," Shuichi replied, lowering the spoon into the soup bowl, and then raising it to his lips. Sip from the side of the spoon, the _side_…"I have to sit for the exam like this, don't I?" As he lowered the spoon again, his glasses slipped off his nose and fell into the thankfully empty soup bowl. Shuichi scowled at them and fished them out.

"Yeah, but…" Hiro tilted his head. "You look like Sakano-san."

"And the reason I do," Shuichi replied irritably, adjusting his glasses, "is because I don't want to put him out of commission for another week." He was referring to the fact that Sakano had recently rejoined them, having fully recovered from the embarrassment of the _Broken Note _interview. "Actually, forget a week. If we get pulled out of the tour, Sakano will probably _really _kill himself this time…" He took a sip from one of the three glasses – Hiro hadn't had any goblets handy – and set it down again.

"Remind me again why you needed three glasses?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"Water, white, red," Shuichi sighed, pointing at each one of them in turn. Yamahata-sensei had drilled that little mantra into his head so thoroughly that the words were probably carved into his brain.

"You're going to be eating and drinking wine for the exam?" Hiro tried to lighten the atmosphere. "That's an exam I wouldn't mind taking…"

"Don't say that!" Shuichi groaned, letting his spoon drop to the table with a clatter. "There're so many _rules _and everything…it's like…" Forgetting all table manners, he buried his face in his hands. "…it's so tiring," he finished, the exhaustion apparent even in his muffled voice.

"Hey," Hiro said, concerned. "Are you okay? Shuichi!" he exclaimed, shaking the singer's arm slightly.

"Nnnnghhh…" Shuichi groaned, swatting Hiro's hand away. "Dizzy…"

"What?" Hiro was alarmed. He got up and walked around the table to where Shuichi was still slumped over the soup bowl. He bent down. "Shuichi."

Shuichi didn't look up.

"Look at me," Hiro instructed.

With no small amount of effort, Shuichi raised his head. Hiro felt his forehead. "You're kind of warm," he noted worriedly. "Did you have any breakfast?"

Shuichi shook his head feebly.

"What?" Hiro said in disbelief. "What time did you sleep last night?"

"Sleep?" Shuichi said weakly.

"You didn't _sleep_?"

"Unnnghhhhh…" Shuichi's eyes closed and his head drooped forwards, his body going limp in Hiro's hands. Hiro sighed and dragged Shuichi to the couch, where he left his friend to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

-----------

Shuichi stirred, his already closed eyes screwing up in the harsh glare of the sunlight spilling through the window. He shifted position slightly, turning over and away from the patch of sun, burying his face in the blissfully cool pillow.

He felt so warm. So warm and drowsy and comfortable. The blanket was so soft. So soft and pleasant. He snuggled in further under the covers, making a little catlike noise of contentment.

He couldn't remember feeling this relaxed in a long time. He felt so refreshed and recharged. He hadn't felt this way since…since…

His eyes flew open.

"Charm school!" he yelped in panic, scattering the pillows and blankets. "I'm going to be late…I'm going…I need…practice! Exam! What time is…what time is…Hiro?"

"Ah, Shuichi, you're awake," Hiro beamed, poking his head out of the kitchen. "I thought I heard your dulcet tones…"

"Stop kidding around!" Shuichi's eyes were wide with panic as he tore around the apartment, searching for a change of clothes. "Where's my shirt? And my pants? I need to chaaaaaaaaaaangeeeeee…"

He came to an abrupt, screeching halt as Hiro grabbed hold of his head and pointed it towards the clock on the wall.

"Wha…" Shuichi said weakly. "Oh. _Oh_."

"Relax," Hiro instructed firmly. "And go back to bed. Or, you know, the couch. I'm not letting you wear yourself out again."

"But, Hiro…"

"I went out and got lunch," Hiro interrupted, waving a brown paper bag in Shuichi's face. "Consuming it requires no use of forks, knives or spoons. I want you to forget about charm school and table manners and handshakes for a while and _eat_."

"But…" Shuichi's protest was considerably weaker as Hiro waved the bag under his nose. Enticing smells drifted from it, and Shuichi's empty stomach rumbled in demand.

Suddenly, not practicing for a while didn't seem too bad at all.

Shuichi gave in. "Okay," he said meekly.

"Excellent," Hiro grinned and handed Shuichi the bag. Clutching the bag, the singer made his way to the dining table – now thankfully free of dining implements – and dug out the contents of the bag. He wore a strange expression as he unwrapped a still-warm cheeseburger, oozing cheese, along with a miniature mound of greasy golden fries that spilled out onto the table. He seemed uncertain as to where to begin, and looked from the burger to the fries confusedly. Setting the burger down, he picked up a lone fry, dropping it in distaste and wiping his fingers with the paper napkins in the bag.

"So I got the drinks," Hiro said, emerging from the kitchen. "Assuming you haven't eaten everything alre – Shuichi?"

Shuichi looked up helplessly from where he was seated at the table, the burger and the fries sitting, untouched, in front of him.

"Why aren't you eating?" Hiro asked, starting to feel as though he'd been zapped into an alternate universe.

Shuichi shrugged helplessly. "It's just that…I don't know how to…"

"How to eat a burger?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"How to eat one _properly_!" Shuichi wailed, staring at the food in front of him with obvious distress. "I mean, what if they serve us burgers at the exam as some kind of trick test and I don't know how to eat one? How do you eat a burger properly? I mean, how do you eat one without the sauce and stuff spilling out of the other end? And what if the sauce gets on my chin or something?"

"Burgers," Hiro explained slowly, "generally don't turn up in fancy meals."

"And the fries are kind of…" Shuichi picked up a fry and almost immediately dropped it, wiping his fingers on a napkin.

Hiro watched him with a kind of fascinated repulsion, the same kind people get when they watch exceptionally gruesome scenes in horror movies but are unable to tear their eyes away.

Something wasn't right.

Not that everything had been completely right _before_, but something was very not right now.

Hiro knew what Shuichi's appetite was like. He'd always joked in the past that Shuichi had a pretty amazing metabolism, since his best friend had chomped his way through billions of pocky sticks, bags of chips, bars of chocolate and various junk foods over the years, and still maintained his skinny frame. Shuichi could barely go a few hours without eating something. And here he was, having consumed next to nothing in the last twenty-four hours, and when food was finally offered to him, he was poking at it like it was teeming with maggots.

It was strange. It was unnatural.

And it was a little scary.

"Shuichi," Hiro said, "just eat the food. They're not going to test you on burgers, and I got this specifically so that you wouldn't have to stress yourself out working out how to eat it."

Shuichi picked at the sesame seeds on the burger, saying nothing.

Hiro exhaled. "Look, exams are always stressful. Maybe not to you," he added on a teasing note, recalling how his less-than-motivated best friend had barely made it through high school, "but the thing is you can't skip meals and stuff. You have to keep your energy levels up, and you have to be able to think clearly. So eat this, take the rest of the afternoon off, and you can go to charm school in the evening more refreshed."

Shuichi seemed to consent to this. He picked up the burger, anyway, and raised it to his mouth with some trepidation.

Then he took a bite so small that an ant wouldn't have been able to see it without glasses.

Hiro leaned back in his chair, and stared, concerned, at his friend.

Shuichi was a wreck.

No doubt about it.


	7. That Damn Exam

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Here it is – the exam! And chapter seven. I didn't say this in the previous post, but thanks to all the readers who were patient with me even during my inexplicable absence. To any of those who actually read this further – thanks again! Keep the reviews coming, and enjoy!

CHAPTER SEVEN: THAT (DAMN) EXAM

"Matsumoto-san!" Morihiro said brightly as Shuichi entered the room. "Are you feeling better?" he asked as Shuichi took his seat. "Because you seemed really out of it yesterday…"

Shuichi shot the other boy a wan smile. "A little," he said, truthfully.

The truth was, he _was _feeling better. Partly because he'd taken Hiro's advice – albeit slightly reluctantly – to relax the day before, and also because this time, he'd had the foresight to go straight to Tohma to tell him that he didn't want K escorting him to the exam. This hadn't been so much a request as a kind of battle of politeness between the two.

"Why, Shindou-san?" Tohma had raised a blond eyebrow.

"I'd just prefer it if I could go alone," Shuichi had replied, matching Tohma's politeness with newfound ease.

This had seemed to unsettle the older man a little, although any feelings of unease had been quickly concealed as Tohma had schooled his features into the serene smile that he habitually wore.

"Certainly, Shindou-san," he'd agreed, to Shuichi's slight surprise. "I'll inform him immediately…"

"No, it's fine, Seguchi-san." Shuichi's tone could have made honey envious. "I'll let him know myself. However, I do want him to pick me up afterwards. So he can bring me back here." He was referring to Tohma's request that Shuichi come straight back to the N-G building after the exam, to let Tohma know his results in person. Apparently, the results were quickly tallied and given after all the participants had taken their exam.

"That will be fine," Seguchi had replied with no small amount of grace.

"In that case, please excuse me, Seguchi-san," Shuichi had said demurely. "I must return home to practice some more before the exam."

"Certainly, Shindou-san," Tohma had replied. "Oh, and Shindou-san?"

Shuichi had turned. "Yes, Seguchi-san?"

"Good luck," Tohma had said sincerely.

-------  
Shuichi had been slightly surprised to realise it, but K's absence had had a startlingly positive effect on him. Without K's Magnum-friendly threats or the way he naturally attracted attention, Shuichi had found it easier, during the journey, to slip into the role of Kiyoshi – quiet, well-mannered and polite. He had even managed to go over some of the things he'd learned on the way there, and had felt far more relaxed than he had in days.

"Where's Makiguchi-san?" Shuichi asked. He and Mori were the only ones in the room. The two were always there before him, and Shuichi had come to assume that they arrived together.

"Oh, he's coming separately today," Morihiro replied. Then he glanced at Shuichi's pale features. "You do seem to be feeling better, Matsumoto-san," he remarked. "Yesterday you seemed really…"

"I know," Shuichi replied heavily. "I just want to get this exam over with,"

"Why are you so stressed about it, though?" Morihiro's eyebrows drew together. "I mean, no matter how you look at it, it's just an exam."

Shuichi squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, I just –"

He was, thankfully, saved from speaking further as the door opened and Ryoma stepped into the room.

"You're unusually early today, Matsumoto," he remarked as he came over and sat down. "Still feel like you're going to drop dead?"

"Ryoma," Morihiro's tone was laced with disapproval. "He's just worried about the exam…"

Ryoma sniffed. "He doesn't need to be," he told Morihiro. Then he leaned over, addressing Shuichi. "Sensei thinks you're one of the best students in class."

This surprised Shuichi. "How do you know?"

Ryoma just shrugged in response. "I can tell," he said mysteriously, fiddling with his tie.

Since he didn't seem willing to elaborate further, Shuichi didn't bother pursuing the subject. Ryoma and Morihiro launched into a conversation, which Shuichi was grateful for, since all he had to do was nod a few times here and there to show that he was listening. As they spoke, the other two students stepped into the room, and at four on the dot, the door opened. Shuichi turned, expecting to see the familiar figure of Yamahata-sensei step into the room. Instead, an unfamiliar woman stepped into the room, holding a clipboard.

"Kuno Katsuhito-san, Makiguchi Ryoma-san, Matsumoto Kiyoshi-san, Nishio Eizan-san, Yamaguchi Morihiro-san, please follow me to the exam room on the second floor. Your exam will take place there." She waited as they all got to their feet, and then led them out of the room, down the stairs and into the exam room.

The exam room was far bigger than their normal classroom, although it more or less contained the same things. There was a large dining table at one end of the room, set for five people, and one section of the room was set up to look like a formal living room, where a party might be taking place. In the middle of the room, there was a long white table behind which three examiners – one of them Yamahata-sensei – were seated. Opposite them was a lone chair, and on the other side of the room, there were five chairs – presumably the waiting area. The waiting area had been arranged in such a way that it was impossible to see or hear anything that was going on where the examiners were seated. The woman led them to the waiting area where they took their seats with varying degrees of nervousness. She then instructed them to wait, and left the room.

This seemed to be some kind of cue for Yamahata-sensei, who joined them as soon as the woman left. "You will take the first part of the exam individually," she informed them. "When your name is called, you are to walk to the examiner's table, greet the examiners, and take your seat. You will be given a short interview. Marks will be given or deducted based on how you walk, sit, stand, and, of course speak.

"The second part of the exam is to test your dining habits. You will all be served the same food, and marks will be given or taken away based on how you conduct yourself while eating."

Shuichi shuddered involuntarily at the thought of being monitored while he ate. Yamahata-sensei didn't seem to notice; at any rate she continued as though she hadn't.

"The third part of the exam is to test your interaction skills. You will all be tested on how you interact with other people and how adept you are at holding conversations. You will not just be mingling with each other; several more people will be joining us for that stage of the examination. I would like to wish you all good luck, and please come forward when your name is called. Also, please do not speak or make any noise while you are waiting for your turn. Remember – a gentleman is a gentleman at all times." With that, she left them.

Shuichi's stomach was churning uncomfortably at the prospect of what looked like a very long exam ahead. Beside him, Ryoma was looking straight ahead with an unreadable expression on his face; Eizan looked decidedly more relaxed, lolling back in his chair and humming a tune to himself. What seemed like several eternities went by before the woman who brought them there returned.

"Kuno Katsuhito-san," she announced.

Katsuhito, his expression even more unreadable than Ryoma's, got to his feet. There was a pause, broken by a distant murmur of voices.

Shuichi wasn't sure how long the interview took; he didn't have a watch and didn't dare ask anyone the time. Kuno didn't return after the interview, and the woman returned, this time for Ryoma. He left the room looking completely at ease, even winking at Mori as he disappeared.

Although Shuichi didn't have a watch, he estimated that Ryoma's interview took more or less the same time as Ryoma's. He tried going over the handshakes he'd practiced with Hiro in his head, but his brain seemed to have turned to putty in his skull. All he could think about was that it was _his _turn next, his turn, his turn…

The woman emerged again.

"Matsumoto Kiyoshi-san," she announced, looking directly at Shuichi.

Shuichi got to his feet, trying to ignore the fact that his legs appeared to have turned to jelly, an icy feeling was trailing up and down his spine, his intestines felt like they were twisted around his stomach, and that one of Nittle Grasper's songs was playing in his head.

It was time.

----------

To say that the tension in Tohma's office was palpable would have been the grossest of understatements; tension hung so heavily in the air that one could practically cut it with a knife. Hiro had always thought of the room as large, but now it seemed almost unbearably small. He felt a strange mix of restlessness and exhaustion at the same time. He wanted to move around, but didn't dare to do so in case it irritated the other inhabitants of the room. He wished he had something to do, like playing the guitar. Beside him, Suguru looked equally uncomfortable, his usually calm features twisted with worry.

Had it been a normal night, Hiro would already have been home, maybe watching TV or eating a late dinner and waiting for Shuichi. However, in light of the fact that Shuichi was getting his results immediately after the exam, Tohma had decided to summon the other two members of Bad Luck to his office, along with Sakano, to await the verdict. He'd done so after K had left to pick Shuichi up, and had just received a call that he and Shuichi were on their way back. When Tohma had asked about Shuichi's results, K had said he didn't know, and that Shuichi was only going to tell Tohma once they reached the office. Tohma hadn't seemed very surprised by this. Currently, Sakano was leaning against the opposite wall. Instead of his usual worrywart antics, he was merely clutching a now-empty Styrofoam cup of coffee, staring at it determinedly as he picked at the edges. Even Tohma appeared slightly concerned; he wasn't in his usual position behind his desk, but was standing in front of it, leaning against it slightly with his hands crossed.

Hiro estimated the time frame for what seemed like the billionth time. The place was fifteen minutes away from the N-G building. K had called – Hiro checked his watch again – twelve minutes ago. By right – including trivial things like elevators and so on – the two should be here any…

The door opened and Shuichi, flanked by K, walked in, holding a manila envelope in his hand. Hiro tried to discern the verdict from his best friend's face, but Shuichi's expression was completely unreadable. Hiro tried to catch K's eye, in hopes that Shuichi might have revealed _something _– anything at all – to him, but K just shrugged slightly in response. Hiro was completely clueless. Had Shuichi passed? Had he not? On one hand, Shuichi would _never _be able to be so poker-faced if he'd accomplished something like passing an exam. On the other, he didn't usually take an hour to finish a burger either…

The tension in the room mounted considerably as Shuichi wordlessly handed the envelope to Tohma in an elegant manner. The blond president seemed slightly surprised by this, but accepted the envelope.

It seemed to take forever for Tohma to slit the envelope open. His hands were remarkably steady; Hiro had balled his into fists just to keep them from trembling. A document spilled into Tohma's hands, and he quickly held it up and read through it…

Hiro waited…

Suguru waited…

K waited…

Sakano waited…

Tohma, however, gave off no sign as to what he was reading was good or bad. He seemed to take forever to read the contents of the envelope. Then he looked up at Shuichi, both their expressions equally unreadable…


	8. The Aftermath

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I own no rights to Gravitation or any of the characters, and never will, except in alternate universes entirely of my own creation. The plot is original though, and I therefore fully exercise my right to force them to do whatever I want by embellishing it. (glomps Hiro)

Author's Note: Holy crap, two chapters at once! Anyway, I didn't like the idea of leaving all of you hanging so here it is…the verdict! –cue spooky music- Enjoy!

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE AFTERMATH

Shuichi had failed.

_Failed_.

Hiro couldn't believe it.

He didn't want to believe it.

How could he? After all that work, all those nights of stressing, all the polite conversation and handshakes and bowing and proper dining and all the rest of it…he'd _failed_? No way.

No _way_.

But what other explanation was there? Why else would the two be standing there, eyes locked on each other for so long, each so unmoving? Each so unreadable. Eternity had gone by in all of five minutes, and the two were still standing there, somehow oblivious to the tension and the suspense that had filled the office to bursting.

Hiro fought the overwhelming urge to run up to where Shuichi and Tohma were standing, to rip the paper from the pale hands that held it, to read it aloud and offer everyone some relief from the tension. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to sit here with his suspicions, he didn't want his doubts unconfirmed, he just wanted to know, dammit, to _know_…

It was K who broke the spell.

"Well?" he asked, slightly impatiently. "What did he get?"

K's voice seemed to jolt Seguchi back to reality, and the man came to himself. He looked from K to Shuichi. His lips moved.

Hiro's heart jumped.

Was that a…?

Was that a _smile_?

Then common sense kicked in. He smiles all the time, Hiro, it warned him. Every single time. It doesn't mean anything. He smiles when he's angry. He smiles at everything. He always…Hiro was so busy trying to convince himself that he almost missed what Tohma was about to say.

Tohma shook Shuichi's hand. "Congratulations, Shindou-san," he announced. "The tour is officially on."

Afterwards, Hiro reflected that it was lucky that Seguchi-san's secretary had gone home for the night. The sheer volume of the shrieks and laughter that took place after Seguchi-san's statement was so loud that anyone standing outside Seguchi-san's office might have thought some kind of explosion was taking place. There was laughter, and shrieks – though no one knew from who – and hugs galore, and the atmosphere was so unbelievably lively and happy that nobody found it strange when K pulled out several tons worth of drinks and food, adding to the already party-like atmosphere. Soon everyone was wearing silly hats, blowing noisemakers and toasting each other, drunk and happy and high on life. Soon Ryuichi and Noriko joined in the fun, and an impromptu rendition of Bad Luck's 'The Rage Beat' was performed by Shuichi, capping off the festive, celebratory atmosphere of the evening beautifully.

-------------

The next day, Shuichi, his hair restored to the most vivid of pinks, hurried around Hiro's apartment, stuffing his clothes back into his duffel bag and preparing to move out, seemingly unaffected by last night's celebration as he zipped around the apartment.

"Can't wait to see Yuki-san, huh?" Hiro teased, watching his newly pink-haired best friend folding a T-shirt and placing it in his bag.

"I haven't seen him for ages," Shuichi said wistfully. He beamed up at Hiro. "And it's perfect! He has a meeting with his editor today, so afterward he'll be free too!" He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. "See you at N-G later, Hiro! Thanks for letting me stay with you!" He hurried out of the apartment.

Hiro stared after his best friend, his head tilted to one side, deep in thought. Shuichi was less tired and pale, sure, but there was still something weird about him. Hiro ran their conversation through his head, trying to work out what it was. Then he realised it.

Shuichi was still speaking formally.

Hiro shrugged. Just a lingering effect of the exam, he figured. With time, Shuichi'd go back to his old way of speaking.

Probably.

-----------

"So?" Hiro asked as Shuichi entered the rehearsal room. "How'd the big reunion go?"

Shuichi grinned ruefully. "Yuki fell asleep the second his editor left, so I didn't wake him. We'll have plenty of time to catch up later tonight so I don't…"

"_Plenty of time_?" Shuichi froze as something that felt suspiciously like a Magnum was jabbed into his back. "Who said anything about _plenty of time_?"

"I did, K-san," Shuichi said brightly – or as brightly as it's possible to sound when a tall, blond American man carrying a gun is currently jabbing it into your back – "Why?"

K paused, looking slightly nonplussed at Shuchi's nonchalance. "Because starting today –" With his free hand, K dangled a sheaf of stapled papers in Shuichi's face, "– you three will be picking up where you left off in terms of your tour's publicity!"

Shuichi took the sheaf of papers and read through the first one. "We're doing all of this stuff this week?" he asked incredulously.

"Nope!" K said brightly.

"Oh," Shuichi sounded relieved. "Because it looks like a lot of…"

"You'll be doing all that stuff _today_!" K corrected him brightly, tossing copies of the papers to both Hiro and Suguru.

"Three photo shoots, two magazine interviews, one TV interview _and_ an appearance on a music show?" Suguru read out in disbelief. "All in one _day_?"

K's grin was wider than usual. "If you've got any problems, blame Shuichi here," he said unconcernedly, tapping Shuichi's head with his Magnum. "If it hadn't been for his charm school stint, everything could all have gone on at a more relaxed pace. _But_ –!" he swung Shuichi around and stabbed the gun into his face, "– he went for charm school, so now you have a lot to catch up on! Come on, your publicity awaits!" Seizing hold of Shuichi with one hand, he gestured with his Magnum to the other two, carrying Shuichi bodily from the room.

---------------

"So…exhausted…" Suguru groaned, wiping his hand across his forehead. "Do we have anything…left?"

"No," Shuichi looked remarkably composed. He shot his bandmate a disapproving look. "Don't you remember the schedule?"

"Lost count," Suguru mumbled. "Too tired…"

"Tomorrow's another day!" K trilled brightly as Suguru left the room. "And tomorrow we have more things to do, so don't be late!" He waved his Magnum, more as a warning than as a goodbye.

"I'm gonna go," Hiro smothered a yawn. "I'm beat." He stood up. "Do you want a ride home, Shuichi?"

"No, I'll take a taxi. Thanks anyway, Hiro," Shuichi smiled. "Good night, K-san," he said, and left the room.

"_Now _do you think he's acting weird?" Hiro asked the blond man, raising an eyebrow.

"He's just polite," K said dismissively. "Another couple of days and he'll be back to normal."

"I think the interviewers noticed it too," Hiro went on, almost to himself. "They seemed to find it strange…"

"Look," K said. "Don't worry about it. Shuichi'll get back to normal in no time. In the meantime, get some sleep – you've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Okay," Hiro said reluctantly. "Good night."


End file.
